Girls just want to have fun!

Chelsea's friends, Meredith and Kelly (hereafter referred to as "tall Kelly" - you'll see why when you see the pictures) are visiting for 10 days from Indiana. This is Meredith's 5th trip (she qualifies as "family" at this point) and Kelly's first. We're SO glad to have the girls visit!!!!

Chelsea's best friend in Delaware is another Kelly (hereafter referred to as "short Kelly" - you'll see why when you see the pictures) and so (short) Kelly was also a big part of the week.

Saturday is (short)Kelly's birthday and so the girls took her to Knoebels - an amusement park in Elysburg, PA. - about 170 miles from Wilmington, DE - for a birthday surprise!

Michael took a couple pictures of them before they left:

(In the picture - Meredith, Chelsea, Kelly and Kelly - [YOU figure out which is which!])

(In the picture - Meredith, Chelsea, Kelly and Kelly - [You can tell which is which, right?])

They had a GREAT time and said that in spite of the long ride, Knoebels was a great place to go!!! Fortunately, they were able to split the trip into 2 days. They will spend the night with a friend who lives near Knoebels. What a HUGE help!


The girls have had a great week - lots of smiles - lots of memories.

(In the picture - (tall) Kelly, Chelsea, Meredith and (short) Kelly)

And this has been a wonderful week for Michael and me. We've really enjoyed having the girls visit and hope that they can come back often - and soon!

Something's fishy!

Lunch today with Richard today - just the two of us - always a treat!

At the end of my half-day work day, Richard and I went to Red Lobster for lunch.

Fish and shrimp - $9.50 (lunch special)
Biscuits - 150 calories each
Time with Richard - PRICELESS

Made my day! Thanks, Richard!

Location! Location! Location!

So! We had a grrrrreat spot at the Italian Farmer's Market (where we set up tables with our jewelry every Saturday from 9am to 1pm) - right under a big ol' shade tree. Pretty sweet! BUT... we were at the very end of the Market, which was okay - until there were several weeks where the vendors around us didn't show up.

That meant that we were out in no-man's land - alone - no traffic - no reason to venture down to where we were - unless you were looking for jewelry. I would say that most of our sales have been to people who weren't necessarily looking for jewelry, but when they walked by, they liked what they saw and bought it.

ANYWAY... (do you know ANYone who can drag out a story more than I can???) Two weeks ago, the manager of the Market noticed that we were out in left field (so to speak) and so LAST week, she moved us down 3 spots - next to Jim from Rosehill Plantery - who is next to the Amish Farmer (where most of the traffic originates). Great location! Good move!

Okay... so we're sitting next to Jim, watching people come up and buy plants. Those plants were disappearing faster than S'mores at a Girl Scout bonfire! BEAUTIFUL plants - hanging baskets - potted trees - great stuff.

Didn't take too long. Michael went over to check out the prices. Uh oh! Middle of the season! Great prices! We're done. I mean really... in the spirit of community and all that - we just HAD to buy a hanging basket... or two. Didn't we?

We did! Trust me!

Soooooooooo there wasn't a whole lot left by the time I got over there to voice my opinion (No smart comments, please! Bite your tongue. You can do it!). BUT we got a couple of really nice looking baskets with just the color we needed out front.


Michael was sure that he'd remember specifically what they are, but he forgot. Personally, I don't think it really matters. I refer to them as: the red and white one - and the red and purple one. It works!

Just to clarify... this is the red and purple one:


And this one is the red and white one:


If you're looking for a zing of color to finish the summer, or if you're looking for shrubs at mid-season prices, come and see Jim on Saturday at the Market or visit him during the week at Rosehill Plantery.

Next week they're moving us again - to the other side of the Amish Farmer and next to the Barbeque guy. *sigh* I'm sure that next Sunday, I'll be telling you all about the great barbeque we bought. Community - fellow vendor - support the Market - blah blah blah. We'll HAVE to buy something. You know we will!

Have a great week!

Thank you very mulch!

It's not everyone who can get excited enough about dirt to write about it, but I can! It looks soooooooooooo good!!!

We have a ranch, one-story house, so it seems like the beds in front (and on the sides) of the house are endless. Getting the beds to look the way we want them to look is a never-ending process and we're certainly not there yet, but it gets better every time.


My youngest son, Scott, has a friend (Ryan) who has always loved all things green - and so he started a landscaping business a couple of years ago. He's knowledgeable, reliable and a really nice guy, so we called Ryan and he's been slowly but surely getting us into shape.


One of our Azaleas died this year and so he took that out. The one next to it isn't much better, but Ryan suggested that we keep it for this year and replace it next spring. Sounds like a plan to me.

The Rhododendrum in front of the window is gorgeous! It's gotten a little high, but it's getting buds for next year, so we'll trim it next spring after it blooms.

Two years ago, Ryan planted a Dogwood tree on the corner and it's doing well. It's soooooo pretty in the spring when it blooms!!!


We look great in the spring with the Rhodie, the Dogwood, the Azalea, some Coreopsis and some really pretty Spirarea BUT this time of year, it's borrrrrrrrrring! We need some summer color. The side yard has more color than the front. We could always do some annuals, but I'd love to find some flowering bushes maybe that would give us color all summer.

The photo below of the Daylily is a typical "Michael picture" - beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! I could spend all day looking at the pictures he takes.


So! If you have any ideas or suggestions about how we can add some color, please let us know!

Have a fantastic Friday!

Public Enemies

It's Tuesday - $1 popcorn day - so Michael and I HAD to go to the movies this afternoon. We've been thinking about seeing "Public Enemies" for a couple of weeks, but the running time of 2 hrs. and 23 minutes was a bit of a put-off.

In the end, we decided that we couldn't let a Johnny Depp movie disappear from the theater without seeing it, so we went. (I already said that, didn't I?)

Johnny Depp was terrific, as usual. (I'm a fan.) He certainly made Dillinger human, which for me was a mixed blessing. I was kind of hoping that the makers of this film would take some liberties and make it a happy ending. That didn't happen. Not even close. In the end, history won out (was there ever a contest???). This was definitely not a "feel good" movie! (And not all of the bad guys were gangsters!)

I seriously considered leaving 5 minutes early to avoid the end. Instead I opted for the "cover your eyes" style of movie watching. It was only semi-successful - didn't change the end at all, but I avoided watching it, which worked for me.

My one regret is that I didn't get to see the blonde guy with the scrunched up mouth who "took care" of Billie, "get it"! Now, I'm a gentle soul, by nature, but with all of the bullets flying, it's a shame one didn't get that guy! (She said, sweetly)

Loved the "Pirates" movies, "Finding Neverland", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"; the whole list - and my favorite, "Chocolat". If it has Johnny Depp in it, I'm there. So, it's not surprising that I'm recommending "Public Enemies", too.

Go see it.

But don't watch the end.

Monday again (and again... and again... )

They keep coming - Monday after Monday. Okay... there are days in between, but it seems like every time I turn around, it's Monday again! And today, here we go again! It's Monday!

The only thing that salvaged today was lunch at Chili's with Richard, Michael and J.C. (from work). J.C. is a couple of years younger than Richard. They played on the same baseball team at one point (when they were both VERY young). And now poor J.C. has to spend every day across the hall from me at work.

ANYWAY... Richard was telling us about his golf game on Sunday and the man who played with his group. Well he played with them PART of the time and then Richard "found" him another single to join. Best for everyone concerned, trust me.

Richard was telling us about this guy and his poor etiquette - standing on the green holding the pin, being wasted (is being drunk considered poor etiquette?), and on and on and on. OBVIOUSLY it was NOT Richard's fault that he lost his temper and almost thumped the guy. Obviously not Richard's fault. Obviously.

ANYWAY, while Richard was telling us this story, Michael and I were laughing. It was funny! But J.C.???? J.C. was crying, he was laughing so hard! I thought he was going to fall off of his chair. Every time Richard tells a story, J.C. collapses in laughter. It's worth getting Richard to tell stories, just to see J.C. laugh! Sooooooo funny!

Back to the golf game. In the end, "the guy" went to play with someone else (with some encouragment from Richard). Richard did NOT thump him. But Richard's friends harassed him for the rest of the afternoon. He said that he'd be ready to take a shot and look up - and one of his friends was standing on the green, holding the pin. And then they'd all laugh.

I mean, really. What are friends for anyway? If your friends can't pick on you, who can???

Long story almost over - lunch was fun!

Laughing with friends is fun!

Laughing with your son is the best!

You have eyes just like my daddy!

Dinner with Julie, Richard and 2-year-old Kate (and Michael and Chelsea) at Red Robin tonight. What a great night to sit outside on the patio for dinner.

Kate came to me for a delightfully extended hug after she was finished eating, so we had a little time to talk - just the two of us. I was holding her, both of my arms around her so that she could lean back and talk. (Although she chooses to be right up in my face.) She asked me, "What color are your eyes, Grammie?" Before I could answer, she exclaimed, "You have eyes JUST like my daddy!"

"You're right, Kate. I DO!" I answered, grinning.

"Still looking, she remarked with certainty, "Your eyes are green, Grammie."

Then her pink, sparkly flip-flop fell off and she exclaimed, (again, about an inch from my face) "Grammie, my fllllip-flllllop fell off" with the JUICIEST "llllllll's" I've ever experienced quite that close up.

Of course, just about everything she does makes me laugh, so I wiped the "llllllllll's" off my face, laughing, and assured her that her father would pick up her flip-flop.

She seemed content with that, and so we carried on our conversation (with me still laughing) until it was time for her to give Michael and Chelsea a hug and for all of us to go.

I cherish those little moments with Kate. I run them over and over in my mind, smiling every time. She is soooooooo precious.

Life is VERY good!

Can I go home now?

The bloom is off the rose. Did I say it was good to be back to work???? Truly, I must have lost my mind.

I still love my office. I'm still glad to see J.C., Earnie, Alan, Karuna, Vishala, Lolita and others. And half days are pretty cool, but SURELY I could find something more fun to do in those hours.

I'm reminded that Delaware State Employees are now experiencing a 2.5% pay cut. Disability rules have changed - and not in favor of the employee. Old computers with 512 MB of RAM have to limp along - no money for replacements. Our annual summer picnic was cancelled due to lack of interest. Can you believe it? I'd say morale was low, but I can't find any morale at the moment. I try to always carry some with me - just for emergencies - but I don't have enough to fuel this entire building.

And so, I shut my door and enjoy my own oasis - plug in my iPod - and do my thing.

"You can spend your life thinking
this or that or that or this will happen
but there ain’t nothing like
feeling good about what you’ve got today"
~ Phil Roy ~

Swimming award for Kate!

Kate got her second stamp last night at swimming lessons. She has mastered the "big paddle" AND she can float on her back. The child is OBVIOUSLY exceptional! (My grandmotherness is showing, I think)

He's back!!!!!!!

I LOVE Facebook. I don't get on much, but I've found so many people that have disappeared from my life!

And now... our own Rich N. is back! Richard and Greg told me that Rich was on Facebook, so I looked and found him. I'm so glad! We've exchanged a couple of messages and now I've actually talked to him and we've made plans to get as many of us together as possible.

I called Richard as soon as I hung up from talking to Rich and we met for lunch at Grotto's to exchange information and to further plans to get together. I'm really excited!!!!

Rich lived with us for awhile back in "the day" when he and Richard were seniors in high school and Greg was a junior. The 3 of them shared a bedroom with no problems - no "odd man out". It was just a wonderful time in our lives. And of course, we came to love him as one of our own.

Life happens. Kids go off to college - paths change - people move. And before we know it, years have passed.

Rich is married now - with a beautiful wife and 2 darling daughters. I can hardly wait to meet them and welcome them home.

Life is SO good!!

Happy Birthday, Gregory!

Gregory is 11 years old today. How can that be?

I remember the night he was born. It was just about 8 o'clock at night and I knew that Greg adn Amy were at the hospital and that the time was near. I was on my way to a bookstore to buy a book to take to the hospital. Greg called and said that Gregory had just been born - Amy was doing great - and to tell me to come to the hospital. I grabbed the book and off I went to the hospital. My first grandchild!

Greg and Amy were so happy! And what a beautiful baby (said Grammie, with no signs of prejudice)!

And now he's 11 years old. No way! *sigh*

We had ice cream cake at Greg and Amy's and watched Gregory open his gifts. It seems that money is the gift of choice for many of us. SO hard to know what he wants and we all figured he would have NO problem deciding how to spend the money.

The best gift, though, was a cell phone! Gregory was SOOOOO excited and of course, we all had to call him and text him and drive him crazy. He was a great sport and answered all of the text messages.

Tomorrow, Amy and the kids are heading to Bethany for a couple of days. Greg has to stay home and work. Sometimes life just doesn't seem fair.

I've been back to work for 2 days and I'm ready for a vacation at Bethany Beach, myself!

ANYWAY...

Happy Birthday, Gregory!

Back to... um... uh... .work

I remember work!!! And it's like labor pains with your second child; the memory comes back in a rush!

I started back today.. I've been off for almost 12 weeks since cervical spine surgery. I'm working half days and that's plenty!

I've become so spoiled - a lady of leisure. It's quite a jolt to end that. But it was good to be back in many ways. I missed my office (I LOVE my office) and I missed J.C. and Alan and Earnie (Earnestine). Joe B. came to visit and welcome me back. Karuna has a similar cervical problem and was eager to hear about the surgery and how it went. And of course, I missed Lolita!

Lolita did a GREAT job while I was gone. I'm coming back with all existing problems solved (although I'm sure there will be new ones before the day is over) and no backlog. I couldn't ask for more.

If I have to work for a living (and I do), this is NOT a bad way to go!

Welcome back.... me!

Fish war

Greg and Amy went to a wedding yesterday afternoon and evening (congratulations, Sandy!). They looked soooo nice! (I'll have to 'borrow' some pictures from Amy's Facebook page)

Soooooo while Greg and Amy went to the wedding, Gregory, Alex and Matthew came to my house to spend a little time with Michael and me. Chelsea picked them up at their house at about 3:30 PM - Greg and Amy picked them up around 11:00 PM to take them home.

In between, we played more "Go Fish" and "War" than I have EVER played in my life - cumulatively! I don't know who we decided was the champion. We kept track of wins and losses, but I have NO idea who had the most wins. I do know that I was concerned that we'd wear out the cards, but they survived!

Gregory and Michael played guitars for a while and Alex was kind enough to let Matthew play his guitar. Matthew serenaded us while we played cards.

We had pasta and meatballs for dinner and Richard, Julie and Kate joined us for a "make your own Gelati" dessert with water ice from Rita's and vanilla ice cream. We had this very special dessert a year or so ago, and the kids have been asking for a repeat, sooooooo I surprised them on Saturday and they LOVED it! And... of course, they want to do it AGAIN! :)

If you don't know what a Gelati is... or if you don't know what Rita's is, well...
Rita's is an East Coast chain that primarily sells water ice (also known as Italian ice) and frozen custard - home of the Misto and the Blendini, the Ritaccino and of course :::: drum roll:::: the Gelati. The Gelati is made with frozen custard on the bottom, then the water ice of your choice and then topped with more frozen custard (vanilla or chocolate - your choice).

Michael and Chelsea are from the mid-west and have lived a sad, deprived life without water ice. Okay... maybe a little dramatic, but going to Rita's is an East Coast treat that they didn't expect.

ANYWAY... we all had a popcorn treat somewhere between 9:00 and 9:30 while we watched the Phillies make an amazing comeback (to win the game 8-7).

Gregory thought it was fun for all of us to have popcorn and be "holed up" in the TV room together. He was right. It WAS fun!

The kids were all sooooo good! Alex can play cards FOREVER! And it's worth it, just to see him smile. What a beautiful smile Alex has! He's rather win than lose(who wouldn't), but he'll keep playing, even when he's losing. He's an amazing young man - smart, brave, always willing to learn.

Matthew was so much fun! He's a perpetual motion machine, so when we go to visit them, he rarely stops long enough to really get to talk to him. I really enjoyed spending the time with him on Saturday. He reminds me so much of Greg, it's remarkable.

Gregory is the old man of the group in many ways. He'll be 11-years-old on Tuesday. It's hard to believe. It's always fun to find out what he's reading (he's always reading something). He's the one who talked me into reading the Twilight series. I'm not sure I've forgiven him yet! (just kidding, of course) Gregory is bright and sensitive and capable of anything he wants to achieve.

I'm exhausted today (and I don't plan to stray too far from the couch) but it was worth it. We had a FANTASTIC day!!!

Life is good!!!!

P.S. Shhhhhhh! I visited Amy's Facebook wedding photos...

WHAT caramel corn??????

I don't see any caramel corn. I have NO idea what you're talking about! Or... maybe I do. Okay... I do.

Richard, Julie and Kate brought us back some caramel corn from Ibachs By The Sea which they bought for us on their beach mini-vacation.

Ibach's caramel corn is the best caramel corn you'll ever eat! Although Dollies and Ibach's are technically the same company, Ibach's caramel corn is different from anything you've had before.

I could give you the whole technical thing about molasses vs. honey, but in the end, all that matters is that if you haven't had Ibach's caramel corn, you haven't had the best. AND... they'll even mail it to your house. And what a great Christmas present for someone! (No, I don't work for Ibach's)

So... we had this great caramel corn, but... well... it's gone.

Thank you, Julie. Richard, and Kate for the wonderful surprise! We LOVED it!!

Some pictures from their vacation at Bethany Beach...

I'm fuuuuuuuuuusing!

Yesterday was my 2nd follow-up appointment at Rothman Institute with Dr. Albert. It's hard to imagine that it's been almost 3 months since my cervical spine surgery and fusion.

The good news is... the bones are fusing, just the way they're supposed to. With Lupus, I guess you just never know. The top one isn't fusing as quickly as the bottom one, but Dr. Albert said that was normal. The top one always takes longer.

I was really concerned about this check-up. If the bones didn't fuse, then another surgery would be necessary to add ANOTHER plate (and more screws) to the other side of my spine for support. I'm SO grateful that doesn't seem to be necessary.

It's now been 12 weeks since I took Methotrexate and I'm doing well. The longer I can stay off of it, the better for the fusion. Since I've been able to stay off the Methotrexate for so long, Dr. Albert wants to know if he can also take credit for curing my Lupus. I wish!! :)

I'm sooooooo grateful!

Happy Birthday Greg!

Greg is 36 today! Amazing! How can that be??????

And what is he doing for his birthday????

WELL! Greg is a project manager for a commercial roofing (and siding) company here in Delaware. Some of his 3,000 responsibilies are to travel up and down the coast (and further inland) from Pennsylvania through Delaware, Maryland, and into Virginia to attend bid meetings, construction meetings, to check on all of the jobs to see that they have the supplies and manpower they need to complete the project on time. So, I'm guessing he's somewhere several hours from here solving problems, attending meetings, and just generally "keeping it together" for his company. Doesn't sound like much of a party to me.

BUT... I'm going to try to corner him on Friday for a birthday pizza dinner. What is a birthday pizza, you say? Hmmmmm Got me! But we'll find out on Friday!

And what does he want for his birthday? Nothing, I'm sure! Greg is THE BEST present giver, but he's not so hot on the receiving end. I have some ideas, but I'm not sharing them here.... yet.

Happy Birthday, Greg!

Dogsitters R Us

Richard, Julie and Kate went to the beach for the 4th of July weekend, so Michael and Chelsea and I became dogsitters for Molly (who doesn't really believe that she's a dog).


Molly is warm, affectionate, snuggly, adorable (and afraid of everything). On Sunday night we were playing a game of "fetch" and the toy landed on the fringe of the rug in the dining room. Molly barked and barked at that thing as if she could intimidate it to move from the fringe. But nooooooo, there it stayed.

With a great deal of encouragement ("atta girl, Molly. You can do it. Get it Molly"), she finally stuck her foot out and flipped the toy and released it from the fringe. It was a triumphant moment!

Watching her antics, Michael and I laughed until we cried. All of the head tilts and reaching out for the toy with her paw, but not quite touching it - and then looking back at us like... "YOU get it!" Molly has no shortage of personality. And she truly does smile! :)

She claimed the ottoman in the TV room as hers - as long as it's pulled over close to the couch so that she can lean on either of us when she chooses.

Richard, Julie and Kate enjoyed the beach - and we enjoyed Molly. A good weekend for everyone!

Cookout at Greg's

Greg and Amy decided yesterday afternoon, to have a 4th of July cookout and we were invited! Woooohooooo! Sometimes the best times are those that come together at the last minute.

Greg and Amy did a great job, as usual! The food was great, as was the company. It's so nice when families blend! Amy's parents were there, as well as her nephew and niece (and family).

Chelsea stopped by with her new Ukelele. It's sooooo cute! We'll have to get a picture to post here.

We had a wonderful 4th of July! I hope you did, too!

Happy 4th!

Our 4th of July started with another trip to the Italian Farmer's Market in Little Italy this morning.

It was a beautiful morning to sit under the tree and make jewelry, but there weren't a lof of us there. There were quite a few vendors missing and a LOT of customers. But we had a great time and even managed to make almost half of what we made last week. We were delighted!

I guess at this point, it's more about consistency and letting people get used to seeing us there.

Other than that, today looks to be a quiet day. Our biggest plan is to watch the Phillie's game.

Life is good!

1 - 2 - 3 Marlenas

Great concert last night at the Keswick! Augustana opened for The Wallflowers.

We weren't familiar with Augustana before last night, but when I sent my son a text message asking if he had heard of them, of course - Richard said that he has 2 of their CDs. (He also said "Oh crap!" because a meeting in New York kept him from being with us.) ;)

ANYWAY... they were fantastic! We were late (my fault) and I felt awful that we missed part of their set. They were soooo good! I'd LOVE to see them again! They're touring this summer with The Wallflowers and with the Counting Crows.


Taking pictures of Jakob Dylan is like trying to catch thunder. What an interesting man. There were no rules about pictures. We were all welcome to take them, BUT... there were almost no lights on the stage - no spotlight. The stage was VERY dark. (Michael did a great job with the pictures, considering the darkness of the stage.)

When Stuart (lead guitar) took solos, Jakob moved to the back of the stage, where he was almost invisible. He started every song facing the drummer, his back to the audience. Not a lot of ego there.


The musicianship was terrific, as always. Our seats were in the front row, on the left-hand side - directly in front of Stuart Mathis (perfect seats for Michael, who, being a guitar player himself, is always interested in technique). Stuart Mathis, with his long, thin fingers - (reminiscent of Pete Droge and just made for playing guitar) was mesmerizing as was Fred Eltringham on the drums. I could hardly take my eyes off of him. He drums with every part of his body. He truly becomes the music. Fascinating!


Below is the set list (yup... we were given a set list from the stage) for what it's worth. They did quite a few things that weren't on the set list. Jakob commented on the amazing sound at the Keswick and seemed to indulge himself (and us) with some things they hadn't planned.


Jakob Dylan reminds me more and more of his father. He doesn't look so much like him in profile, but he certainly does straight on. Michael thinks he acts very much like his dad, also.

It was our 2nd Wallflowers concert and I would certainly go again (and again - and again!

Taking Pelham 123

Michael and I went to the movies this afternoon to see "Taking Pelham 123". I would say that if you're bored and don't really have much to do... go see it. Otherwise, rent the original and let this one go.


Now, that's pretty negative for me - the all-time movie lover. But after venting my negative comments, I have to say that I enjoyed it.


I thought Denzel Washington's character and John Travolta's character were both over the top. And it takes a lot for me to say anything about either actor that isn't covered with smiles. James Gandolfini and John Turturro, ono the other hand, were both great!


The car chases, crashing cars, motorcyles speeding through traffic going in the wrong direction - not especially believable.


We had a coupon for a free ticket and one for free popcorn and of course, we had our trusty Regalators for our $1 sodas. So, we had a great time and we're glad we went!


If you see it, let me know what you think.